Next Stop Love is an quirky love story that pulls you right in! Julian is trying to get his life together after a series of hardships and unexpectedly gets thrown together with Beatrice fleeing from his past. Beatrice and Julian are both two college aged kids trying to build stability in their lives working a d going to school. It was adorable reading about their love story and how it progressed. Yes there are some crazy outlandish twists and scenarios but it just makes for a fun and fast read.

This was a cute read and a great distraction from everything going on right now. I really enjoyed this and would recommend it!

This wasn't the light fluffy romance I was expecting, but it was alright. It was still cute, and I liked the characters - particularly Beatrice (super relatable), but there was just something that didn't click with me about this one. It took me a lot longer to get through than most books of this genre, but I'm glad I did it.

How adorable is this cover? I'm such a sucker for these types of covers. I know usually we read books to escape but does anyone else who falls into "new adult" read books like these to feel seen or in hopes that something whimsical can happen to you as well?

This read was super cute. I absolutely enjoyed this title! Will be looking forward to more from this author!

I’m going to be honest, I requested this book because of the cover. I was expecting a sweet, quick romance but was frightfully surprised! This book had so many layers and the characters were developed perfectly. By the end of the book, I already wanted to read it again!

Contemporary romance that was very predictable. I liked the characters but did not find myself as invested as I should be. I think for a younger audience this might go over well and I'd recommend for that but was a miss for me.

before starting my quasi-review, a couple of things that need to be said:
- trigger warning: this book was way deeper and darker than I expected. it’s good for sure, just intense. there’s a lot of fist fighting and angst. there’s a ton of violence, some stalking, an abusive boyfriend, abusive family situations, severe anxiety, gang activity, death of close family members, and a couple of stories about past drug abuse and neglect, and some serious blunders by the justice system. please don’t be fooled by the cutesy cover; this is an intense book. the love story is sweet and julian and bee are wonderful, but please know that there is way more to this book than just their meet-cute on a train to nyc.
- and a reminder: it is okay to ask for help!!! going to a counselor or therapist is not weak, cowardly, or an inefficient use of your time. you are worthy and important and valuable, and you deserve a safe space to sort through your feelings in a productive way with someone who wants to listen to you and genuinely cares about your health and well-being!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
now on to my thoughts while reading:
- 5 pages in and I’m already swooning over julian. a love interest with curly hair and tattoos who wants to teach art classes for underprivileged kids?? I’m listening
- 30 pages in: um yeah julian is a gem
- 60 pages in: OKAY JULIAN I SEE YOUUUUUU
- not sure what page it’s on, but the friendsgiving dinner is SO CUTE. julian saving the day by fixing the ruined turner? okayyyyyyy boy
- the action seriously starts page 1, and the rest of the book is a fast paced whirlwind
- you know how in some books it takes forever for things to be revealed, so you’re just confused and feel like you’re missing something? the pacing of when things are revealed in next stop love is really good! little bits of julian’s backstory get revealed as you go along, and it’s the perfect amount to keep you from confusion but also keeps it mysterious
- told in dual perspectives, some focusing on julian and some on bee. it works really well and definitely gives a fuller picture of what’s happening in the story
- random thought I had at 83%: (context: my name is grayson, but I’ve always gone by gracie) one of the main characters is named greyson and I literally just put it together that we have the same name lol. unfortunately he’s a disgusting human
- people NEED TO COMMUNICATE AND REALIZE THAT MOPING AROUND AND NOT ASKING YOUR S/O WHATS GOING ON IS NOT CONSTRUCTIVE OR HELPFUL good grief
- love love love that bee and julian aren’t high schoolers. there aren’t enough solid ya books with protags in their early twenties
- overall this was good! it was intense, but the conversations were sweet, and it was wonderful seeing julian and bee’s hopes and dreams unfold as you get to know their hearts better 💕

This book was unexpectedly dark. I did not expect it to be anything other than a fun contemporary romance, so when multiple trigger-warning-inducing scenes happened, it caught me off guard. Despite that shock (although PLEASE put some TWs on this book), I really enjoyed the story. Bea and Julian are fab MCs and I really loved them. Well written and worth reading.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book, that’s why there will be no rating from me.
The reason for not finishing this story is quite simple. It just dragged too much fo my taste. And I had to force myself to pick it up and it took me almost to month to reach 30% of the book and I think it says a lot.
The characters were unlikable and boring. Until 30% of the book nothing much happened, just some boring dialogues and that’s it.
I’m sorry, but I just can’t waist my time on the book I can not enjoy.

This book was a really fun and enjoyable read. The characters were relatable and had great depth. I definitely recommend it and will be ordering copies for my library.

When Beatrice Bauer and Julian Moon cross paths in an unfortunate run-in at the local college library, neither could have anticipated seeing the other again. However, because fate keeps throwing them together as “coincidental commute acquaintances,” a burgeoning friendship is born. As they grow closer on their daily rides, swapping jokes and encouraging each other to pursue their dreams, they must face a series of tough choices. Can their friendship become more? Are they worthy of their dreams? And what chance does happily ever after stand in the face of a sketchy past?

“Next Stop Love” is definitely a cute story, and I enjoyed reading it. The banter between Bea and Julian was so sweet, and it was clear that they truly cared for and supported each other. I didn’t really doubt that the two had chemistry. Bea’s friends and younger brother as well as Julian’s sister made for a great supporting cast, too. Throw in Bea’s unique sense of style and Julian’s own flair for the arts, and you’ve got a winning combination for a romantic story.

That being said, this piece did contain heavier topics that I did not anticipate would be in the story based on the cover and the summary provided. Readers should know that there are references to gang violence, an abusive dating situation, and plenty of moments of harassment. These elements are important to the arc of the story, but they can be shocking if you are expecting a solely bubbly narrative.

Additionally, I wish more of Bea’s backstory had been given throughout earlier portions of the piece as there’s an important heart-to-heart moment in the latter half of the book that didn’t have a lot of emotional punch since, as a reader, I was learning about some of Bea’s issues at the same time they were being addressed/solved. What I did appreciate about this story, though, is that it followed two college age kids without being a “college” story. The book ended on a positive note, and it’s certainly one I could see myself revisiting.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Next Stop love follows Julian and Beatrice.

Julian is trying to get back on his feet after a series of both poor decisions and truly unfortunate circumstances have left him as a high school drop out who dreams being an illustrator.

Beatrice is struggling to graduate from NYU on time while also trying to balance playing the peace maker in her family, make enough money to survive, and deal with a boyfriend she never really wanted.

After a dramatic chance encounter, Julian and Beatrice meet and discover they share a 2 hour commute every day in and out of the city. They end up having an unexpected connection and find that maybe they finally have someone to look to for support.

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I was provided an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Next Stop Love was a sweet contemporary with a by chance romance. While I wouldn't say it was super predictable, unfortunately I didn't feel like the unpredictable moments served the story and at times made it feel unfocused.

Our main characters of Beatrice and Julian had some really good chemistry although it was a little too insta-lovey for my taste, especially on Julian's part.I really enjoyed the way they brought out the best in each other and seemed to push each other to be the best version of themselves. The dialogue, however, was so weird. It did not flow naturally and it made it really difficult to see the characters as real people.

Beatrice is VERY "not like other girls" and it was pointed out that she wasn't basically every chapter. She wears really funky clothes, tells cheesy dad jokes, and acts super naive. She also has few street smarts despite living near New York City her entire life and attending NYU for the past 3 years which just does not seem realistic.

I did really loved our two main character's relationships and friendships outside of each other. Beatrice's friends were super supportive and while there were a couple times it felt like they were thrown in there just to say the book has LGBT+ rep, they did provide a really nice outside perspective of the books action. I also enjoyed Beatrice's relationship with her stepbrother and Julian's relationship with his sister.

Overall the book was cute but it was really hard to connect to the characters and I also have a lot of questions about some of the medical things that happened towards the end of the book.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions are my own and this did not affect my review in any way.

I requested this book on NetGalley because I was in the mood to read a fun, romantic contemporary book that would be a fast heartwarming experience. I was definitely not expecting to read such a hard-hitting romance story, and I loved it.

In Next Stop Love we follow Beatrice Bauer who is struggling to keep up with the demands of family, friends, college life, and a part-time job. And Julian, who is doing his best to get back on his feet and reconnect with his dream of being an illustrator. When a shared commute dumps Julian and Beatrice in each other’s lives, they start wondering if there isn’t more to life than a desperate scramble to stay afloat.

Like I said I was expecting a fluffy quick romance novel, but Next Stop Love is so much more than that. I was definitely not expecting to be blown away by this book, but I was. The writing style is lyrical and clean, I could not put this book down, it had high stakes and various plot twist that just made the reading experience much more enjoyable.

This book is so much more than just a romance book, it is a story about forgiveness, about chasing your dreams and not letting your past dictate your future. This was such a hard-hitting story and I feel in love with it. I loved how it felt realistic and it dealt with important everyday problems.

The best thing about the book are definitely the characters, Beatrice was my favorite character, I think I related to her way too much but in a good way, she is sweet, quirky and gives her all in everything that she does. Julian was also amazing, I really appreciated seeing his character growth and how he learned to let go of the past. The real MVP´s though are Nath (Bee´s brother) and the best friends Sasha and Kinsey.

Overall this was an outstanding and surprising read, this book was hard-hitting, impactful, heartwarming and romantic. I truly hope the author comes out with a sequel soon because I would love to get back into the story of Beatrice and Julian.

Thanks so much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me read and review this book.

Requested this because of the cover-cute, light, quirky- and it did not disappoint!! I ended up really enjoying this book! The characters were so likable and relatable to anyone who is towards the end of college/just out of college trying to find your next step. Loved it.

This was a lovely read! I would recommend this to the ya/new adult crowd. It had a great mix of drama and humour. Characters were rich and dynamic and had me feeling for them throughout their stories. I like the back and forth narrative and thought it was really well done. Sometimes the back and forth narrative can be jarring and disruptive but that was not the case with this book. The book had good diction and I really enjoyed the writing style. I will be looking for more work by this author in the futures.

One note of criticism - I find the title a little cheesy. It doesn't capture the depth of this story.

Hey ready to break out some tears with this one! This story is beautifully written, has all the comical and special moments we all love from our contemporary rom books and had an added suspense element which I didn’t see coming. It was almost poetic how this story of two broken people coming together and making themselves whole by being with each other flowed throughout the book.

Wow this book! It took me on a ride I wasnt quite ready for.
The cover had me thinking it was going to be light and sweet. Which it was for the first half. I actually found it a bit young feeling, like the characters should have been in high school. But then suddenly we have gangs, a villain, abuse, and depression. It was a lot to suddenly take in but its what made the novel more interesting. It could have been explored a bit better with more back story. I think then the progression wouldnt have been so jarring.

The character that really sold the book for me was Julian. His loneliness and feelings of unworthiness brought me to tears. His redemption story was really what captivated me and made me want to keep reading.

Next Stop Love by Rachel Stockbridge
Rating 3 / 5 Stars
Publication Date - 9/22/2020

** Thank you to Netgalley, and of course, Rachel Stockbridge, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an adorable read! Rachel’s writing is simple, and in some cases, this does make Beatrice and Julian seem a bit childish, but they do fit together well and are fun to follow. I found their romance to be sweet, organic, and downright adorable - but I did find that the book included a lot of unnecessary drama based on miscommunication. The deeper topics addressed were well done and the setting of New York was perfect for a nice meet-cute escape in our current world!

If you are looking for a sweet romcom - check this guy out!

This was a fun read! I wanted so badly for these two to find a happy ending and I was so happy they did! There were moments I really felt for the characters and wanted to punch a few others... very well done!

I thought this was such a cute romance. I loved the sweeter moments between these two. I did go into this knowing that it was a fun and light read that did delve into some tougher subjects like abuse. Overall, it was quirky and relatable, especially the college life aspects. I thought that the relationship between Julian and Beatrice was handled very maturely and had the realistic aspect of two college kids entering into a relationship, so I appreciated that. I do feel like the cultural aspect of Julian's character was glazed over, I may be saying this because I am so used to author's who write Asian character's really explaining the culture of the character, so it may have been that I was expecting more of that part of Julian being explored, but I didn't mind that it wasn't explained. Overall I just really enjoyed it, and the pacing was pretty was done well so I appreciate the author not dragging it out or leaving me feeling that things could have been explained more.